AKA Fort Edward Augustus, Fort St Francois, Fort St Francis, Fort St Francois Xavier, Fort de la Baye, Fort Smith
In 1669, a fortified French Jesuit Mission known as Fort St Francois Xavier was established at this location. The site, marked today by a flagpole, is located on the west side of the Fox River at the foot of the Dousman Street Bridge. In 1684, the Nicholas Perrot built a frontier outpost and trading post known as Fort de la Baye des Puants. The fort was rebuilt and renamed in 1717. In 1728, warriors destroyed the fort. The site remained as it had after the attack until 1733, when the fort was rebuilt. It was abandoned by the French in 1760.
In 1761, the British occupied the fort and named it Fort Edward Augustus. The British abandoned the fort during the Pontiac Rebellion, when they determined that the area was too vast to control from a distance.
After the Revolutionary War, the area came under the control of the Americans, but the British did not fully surrender the area until after the War of 1812.
After the War of 1812, a Federal stockade with four log blockhouses was built on the site of the original French fort. In 1820, an outbreak of malaria caused the soldiers to remove to Camp Smith on higher ground nearby. By 1822, the soldiers had returned. In 1822, the post surgeon began taking meteorological readings. The garrison's main function was to keep the peace between the white settlers and the Menominee Nation as well as to build a military road from Green Bay to Fond du Lac.
Beginning in 1831, the buildings were rebuilt as frame buildings. In 1841, the fort was abandoned, as the garrison was sent to Florida for the Seminole Wars. During the Civil War, the fort was used for mobilization efforts for Union troops.
The fort was sold off in 1869. However, two original buildings, the mess hall and the hospital were relocated to Heritage Hill State Historic Park (the location of Camp Smith). two reconstruction buildings are also located there, fur trader's cabin and Officer's Quarters.
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